Resetting the Season for Your Prep Sports Area Girls Basketball Teams
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The high school basketball season is definitely more of a marathon than a sprint.
After a nearly two-week holiday break the girls basketball season restarts in January with the sprint to the postseason that begins next month.
Before the season gets rolling again for area teams on Tuesday we reset the season looking at where teams stand, how they got to this point and what waits ahead.
West High
Record: 6-2
Ranking: Class 5A, No. 11
How’d it get here: West High opened the season with back five straight wins before back-to-back losses to 5A No. 15 Linn-Mar and 4A fourth-ranked Sioux City Heelan in a span of less than 24 hours. The Trojans got back on track with a 61-39 win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson to close 2022.
Who is standing out: Senior guard Meena Tate is off to a strong start averaging a team-leading 16 points per game to go with 2.9 assists, 2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
Who is stepping up: A standout defender, junior Melae’ Lacy is averaging 7.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game.
Stat that stands out: West High is averaging 57.8 points per game in six wins and 37.5 points per game in two losses.
Best Win: A 42-40 win at No. 12 Liberty High on December 9 improved West High to 8-0 all-time against the Lightning and is one of three wins for the Trojans over ranked teams.
Next game: Thursday at Class 4A No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier (8-1).
Toughest Remaining Game: January 24 against Class 5A top-ranked Waterloo West (8-0).
What’s Next: West High opens 2023 at Cedar Rapids Xavier and then with a matchup with City High at Xtream Arena in Coralville on Sunday.
The key sequence for the Lightning will come in late January and early February when the Trojans face a five-game in two-week stretch that includes a rematch with 5A No. 15 Linn-Mar, a home game against Waterloo West and rival games with City High and Liberty High.
City High
Record: 2-5
Ranking: Unranked
How’d it get here: Following a 2-2 start that featured wins over Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Muscatine the Little Hawks lost three straight to close out December including losses to Dubuque Senior and Liberty High by a combined 13 points.
Who is standing out: Sophomore guard August Palmer has been among the best in 5A through the first month of the season averaging a 5A-best 21.3 points per game, 4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
Who is stepping up: Freshman guard Tessa Driscoll has had an impressive start to the season averaging 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Stat that stands out: Sophomore guard Emmy McComas leads City High and ranks 13th in Class 5A with 8.4 rebounds per game.
Best Win: City High overcame a nine-point halftime deficit in a 54-48 season-opening win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson.
Next game: Friday at Class 5A No. 1 Waterloo West (8-0)
Toughest Remaining Game: If it isn’t Friday’s trip to top-ranked and unbeaten Waterloo West it is a January 28 trip to No. 4 West Des Moines Valley (6-3) that is the Saturday after playing at No. 11 West High.
What’s Next: There simply are not a lot of breaks in the Mississippi Valley Conference schedule and City High will see that in January with seven of 10 scheduled January contests coming against ranked teams.
After traveling to top-ranked Waterloo West to open 2023 the Little Hawks play No. 11 West High at Xtream Arena on Sunday.
City High has January games against 4A top-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier, 4A No. 12 Liberty High, 5A No. 15 Linn-Mar, 5A, No. 4 West Des Moines Valley and a second matchup with West High.
Liberty High
Record: 6-3
Ranking: Class 5A, No. 12
How’d it get here: Liberty High started the season 3-3 with the three losses coming to 5A top-11 ranked opponents, Ankeny Centennial, Southeast Polk and West High before closing 2022 on a three-game winning streak.
Who is standing out: Senior point guard Jasmine Barney is putting together a second consecutive all-state caliber season averaging 18 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
Who is stepping up: Senior Ava Meyer is enjoying the best season of her career averaging 7.8 points per game and leads the Lightning with 7.1 rebounds while ranking sixth in 5A with 1.6 blocks per game.
Stat that stands out: Barney is tied for the 5A lead with 65 attempted free throws and is second in 5A with 48 made free throws.
Best Win: Liberty High’s 62-52 overtime win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the 2022 finale snapped a four-game winning streak for the Cougars and gave the Lightning momentum heading into 2023.
Next game: Tuesday at Class 4A No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier
Toughest Remaining Game: January 13 against Class 5A top-ranked Waterloo West (8-0).
What’s Next: The January schedule will tell a lot about Liberty High.
Among the eight scheduled January games for the Lightning are three matchups against top-ranked teams Cedar Rapids Xavier and Waterloo West and five contests against ranked teams.
Liberty High has road games at 3A No. 12 Dubuque Wahlert, 5A No. 15 Linn-Mar and City High and hosts perennial power Cedar Falls.
Solon
Record: 7-1
Ranking: Class 3A, No. 4
How’d it get here: Solon has as good of a resume as any team in Class 3A opening the season five straight wins including victories over ranked teams Vinton-Shellsburg and Center Point-Urbana. The lone loss for Solon is at 4A eighth-ranked Clear Creek Amana and the Spartans followed with a win over 4A No. 15 Marion and a road win at Mid-Prairie.
Who is standing out: Junior point guard Callie Levin is putting together yet another stellar season averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3.6 steals per game.
Who is stepping up: Junior guard Hailey Miller has emerged as an all-around threat opposite Levin in the Spartan backcourt averaging 11.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Stat that stands out: Levin is one of only four players in the state averaging 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and 3 steals per game.
Best Win: Solon already has four wins over ranked opponents but the best among them is a 12-point win over 3A sixth-ranked Center Point-Urbana (7-4).
Next game: Tuesday against Williamsburg (2-7).
Toughest Remaining Game: The toughest remaining game for the Spartans is likely January 21 when Solon hosts 4A fifth-ranked North Polk (6-2) in a non-conference game but the biggest game of the regular season comes Friday when Solon hosts 3A second-ranked Benton Community (9-1).
What’s Next: After a challenging start to the season Solon still has plenty of tests remaining in 2023.
The big one comes this week as Solon hosts Benton Community but the Spartans also has a pair of games remaining with 3A No. 11 Mount Vernon, a home game with 4A No. 5 North Polk and trips to 5A No. 15 Marion and 2A No. 7 Regina.
Clear Creek Amana
Record: 6-2
Ranking: Class 4A, No. 8
How’d it get here: A stellar start to the season that included wins over ranked teams Solon and Vinton-Shellsburg along with a 12-point victory at Class 5A City High ended with a 15-point road loss at Benton Community in which the Clippers went 0-of-13 from 3-point range.
Who is standing out: Junior post player Ava Locklear continues to solidify her status as one of the best players in 4A averaging a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds per game along with 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks.
Who is stepping up: Junior post Bliss Beck provides the Clippers with an imposing post duo averaging 11.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game across from Locklear.
Stat that stands out: Clear Creek Amana ranks second in 4A in assists (132) and field goal percentage (48.7) recording assists on 70 percent of made field goals.
Best Win: Clear Creek Amana had perhaps its most complete performance of the season in its biggest win, an 18-point victory over Class 3A fourth-ranked Solon.
Next game: January 10 vs. 3A No. 11 Mount Vernon (5-4).
Toughest Remaining Game: Clear Creek Amana gets a rematch with 3A second-ranked Benton Community (9-1) on January 27 in Tiffin that will likely determine the WAMAC West Division title.
What’s Next: The Clippers have a longer break than most returning to action on January 10 against Mount Vernon which starts a string of six of seven games coming against ranked teams. Clear Creek Amana has two games remaining with 3A sixth-ranked Center Point-Urbana, the rematch with Benton Community and a road trip to 3A No. 10 Vinton-Shellsburg.
A key four-game stretch for the Clippers comes in the final 10 days of January as Clear Creek Amana hosts 4A seventh-ranked Indianola in a Saturday non-conference game that could prove key for postseason seeding, before traveling to Vinton and hosting Benton Community and Center Point-Urbana.
West Branch
Record: 1-7
Ranking: Unranked
How’d it get here: West Branch opened the season with seven consecutive losses before breaking through with a 20-point win over Tipton in its 2022 finale.
Who is standing out: Junior guard Kylie Pickett is leading the Bears in scoring with 9.4 points per game while making a team-high 21 3-pointers. Pickett is also averaging 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.
Who is stepping up: Senior Sadie Smith is off to a strong start averaging 8.1 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game.
Stat that stands out: West Branch forced Tipton into 29 turnovers in its win on December 20 and committed a season-low 14 turnovers marking the first time this season the Bears had fewer turnovers than their opponent.
Best Win: West Branch got in the win column with a 55-35 victory over Tipton (3-7) in which it went 10-of-22 from 3-point range and all five starters had at least eight points.
Next game: Tuesday against Camanche (2-7).
Toughest Remaining Game: West Branch hosts 2A seventh-ranked Regina (10-1) on January 27.
What’s Next: There are plenty of tough games remaining for West Branch but the toughest stretch of the schedule is likely behind for the Bears after six of eight pre-holiday games came against teams with records of .500 or better.
After hosting Camanche in its 2023 opener West Branch has three consecutive road games at Wilton (4-4), Mount Vernon (5-4) and Mid-Prairie (5-5).
Regina
Record: 10-1
Ranking: Class 2A, No. 7
How’d it get here: Regina has rattled off eight straight wins following its only loss of the season, a 53-44 loss to 4A second-ranked Benton on December 1.
The Regals have been among the most impressive teams in 2A this season winning games by an average of 23 points per game.
Who is standing out: Sophomore guard Morgan Miller has been outstanding thus far averaging a career-high 16.9 points and leading the Regals with 4.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.
Who is stepping up: Junior guard Alli Clark has taken a major step forward this season leading the Regals in scoring with 17.2 points per game while adding 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Stat that stands out: Regina is averaging 62.8 points per game and has scored 70 or more points four times.
Best Win: A 48-44 road win over 3A No. 11 Mount Vernon is the best in terms of opponent ranking but Regina’s 68-61 win over River Valley Conference South Division rival West Liberty to close 2022 was the most impactful for the Regals.
Next game: Tuesday at 1A No. 10 Burlington Notre Dame (7-2).
Toughest Remaining Game: Regina hosts Class 3A fourth-ranked Solon (7-1) in a non-conference game on January 28 and will be attempting to snap a two-game losing skid to the Spartans.
What’s Next: Regina opens 2023 with three consecutive non-conference games including a big one at 1A third-ranked North Linn (9-0) on January 12.
The Regals also have a big game against 2A sixth-ranked Cascade (8-0) on January 21 at the RVC Shootout at Cornell College.
Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.